志す

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
志
こころざ Grade: 5
kun'yomi

Compound of 心 (kokoro, “heart; mind”) +‎ 指す (sasu, “to point”), literally in reference to where one's thoughts are focused on.^[1]^[2]^[3]

First cited to the mid-900s.^[2]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ko̞ko̞ɾo̞za̠sɨ]
(Tokyo) こころざす [kòkórózáꜜsù] (Nakadaka – [4])^[3]^[4]^[5]

Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of 志す

Plain	志す	こころざす	`[kòkórózáꜜsù]`
Conjunctive	志して	こころざして	`[kòkórózáꜜshìtè]`
Perfective	志した	こころざした	`[kòkórózáꜜshìtà]`
Negative	志さない	こころざさない	`[kòkórózásáꜜnàì]`
Negative perfective	志さなかった	こころざさなかった	`[kòkórózásáꜜnàkàttà]`
Hypothetical conditional	志せば	こころざせば	`[kòkórózáꜜsèbà]`
Past conditional	志したら	こころざしたら	`[kòkórózáꜜshìtàrà]`
Imperative	志せ	こころざせ	`[kòkórózáꜜsè]`
Volitional	志そう	こころざそー	`[kòkórózásóꜜò]`
Desiderative	志したい	こころざしたい	`[kòkórózáshítáꜜì]`
Formal	志します	こころざします	`[kòkórózáshímáꜜsù]`
Formal negative	志しません	こころざしません	`[kòkórózáshímáséꜜǹ]`
Formal volitional	志しましょう	こころざしましょー	`[kòkórózáshímáshóꜜò]`
Formal perfective	志しました	こころざしました	`[kòkórózáshímáꜜshìtà]`
Continuative	志し志しに	こころざしこころざしに	`[kòkórózáꜜshì]` `[kòkórózáꜜshì nì]`
Negative continuative	志さず志さずに	こころざさずこころざさずに	`[kòkórózásáꜜzù]` `[kòkórózásáꜜzù nì]`
Passive	志される	こころざされる	`[kòkórózásáréꜜrù]`
Causative	志させる志さす	こころざさせるこころざさす	`[kòkórózásáséꜜrù]` `[kòkórózásáꜜsù]`
Potential	志せる	こころざせる	`[kòkórózáséꜜrù]`

Verb

志(こころざ)す • (kokorozasu) intransitive godan (stem 志(こころざ)し (kokorozashi), past 志(こころざ)した (kokorozashita))

[from mid-900s] to aspire to, to aim for, to set one's sights on, to target or pursue as a goal or aspiration
彼(かれ)は弁護士(べんごし)を志(こころざ)している。
Kare wa bengoshi o kokorozashite iru.
He aspires to be a lawyer.

Usage notes

Japanese references are inconsistent in listing this as either a 自動詞 (jidōshi, “intransitive verb”) or 他動詞 (tadōshi, “transitive verb”). Confusingly, definitions given for the purportedly intransitive sense often give usage examples with the object-marking を (o) particle and constructions that appear to be straightforwardly transitive.

In general, the verb can be used in a clearly intransitive way using the directional particle に (ni) to indicate one's aim, and a more generally transitive way using the object particle を (o):

学(がく)問(もん)に志(こころざ)す、漫(まん)画(が)家(か)の道(みち)にこころざす
gakumon ni kokorozasu, mangaka no michi ni kokorozasu
to aim for studying, to set one's sights on the road to [becoming a] manga artist
留(りゅう)学(がく)を志(こころざ)す
ryūgaku o kokorozasu
to pursue [going on] overseas study

This might be broadly similar to the distinction between the transitive verb 向く (muku, “to face something”) and the related intransitive verb 向かう (mukau, “to be facing towards something”), or indeed the intransitive and transitive distinctions in English aspire to, aim for (which require the prepositions to mark the indirect object) and target, pursue (which require no prepositions and simply take a direct object).

Conjugation

Conjugation of "志す" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs)
Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	志さ	こころざさ	kokorozasa
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	志し	こころざし	kokorozashi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	志す	こころざす	kokorozasu
Rentaikei ("attributive")	志す	こころざす	kokorozasu
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	志せ	こころざせ	kokorozase
Meireikei ("imperative")	志せ	こころざせ	kokorozase
Key constructions
Passive	志される	こころざされる	kokorozasareru
Causative	志させる志さす	こころざさせるこころざさす	kokorozasaseru kokorozasasu
Potential	志せる	こころざせる	kokorozaseru
Volitional	志そう	こころざそう	kokorozasō
Negative	志さない	こころざさない	kokorozasanai
Negative continuative	志さず	こころざさず	kokorozasazu
Formal	志します	こころざします	kokorozashimasu
Perfective	志した	こころざした	kokorozashita
Conjunctive	志して	こころざして	kokorozashite
Hypothetical conditional	志せば	こころざせば	kokorozaseba

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
志
しる Grade: 5
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 志す – see the following entry.

【記しるす】

[verb] to note, to write down, to record

[verb] to keep in one's mind, to remember, to commit to memory

Alternative spellings
誌す, 識す, 紀す, 録す

(This term, 志す, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

References

^ Shinmura, Izuru, editor (1998), 広辞苑 [Kōjien] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 “志”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

“志す”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[2] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

[K-1] Shinmura, Izuru, editor (1998), 広辞苑 [Kōjien] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN

[KDJ2-2] 2.0 ^2.1 “志”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006

[DJR-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[SMK5-4] Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-5] NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

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